Open AccessWater quantity and quality challenges from Elephant Butte to Amistad
Author(s) -
Hogan James F.
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
ecosphere
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.255
H-Index - 57
ISSN - 2150-8925
DOI - 10.1890/es12-00302.1
Subject(s) - butte , water quality , environmental science , hydrology (agriculture) , environmental planning , environmental resource management , water resource management , ecology , geography , biology , geology , geotechnical engineering , archaeology
Management of the Rio Grande between Elephant Butte and Amistad Reservoirs involves a number of distinct water quantity and quality challenges. These challenges arise from both “natural” stressors, such as climate variability and geologic sources of salinization, and “human” stressors, such as bacterial and nutrient contamination from urban storm water, agricultural return flows, and wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), altered hydrology, and increasing/changing water demands. The discussion does not argue for a single approach to surface water “sustainability” as these decisions are properly made by elected officials and decisions makers. Rather it provides an overview of the surface water system contrasting the pre‐development system with the present day to help inform how the stressors mentioned above impact this resource. Current efforts to address these issues are also discussed.